Fuel industry firefighters

In the oil and gas industry, even a minor leak or incident can escalate into a major fire. In these critical moments, it’s the role of the fuel industry firefighters to swiftly contain the fire using the most effective foam. For many decades, aqueous film-forming foam has been the go-to solution for blanketing liquid fires and preventing them from reigniting. If you worked as a fuel industry firefighter for at least two years, you must have encountered AFFF in any of the following scenarios:

• Performing fire system testing and maintenance. With safety systems in place in industries, there are many safeguards to prevent fire from igniting. However, you may still have been exposed to AFFF by routinely testing out monitors and suppression systems. A fuel industry firefighter could be exposed to thousands of gallons of AFFF in just one routine test.
• Responding to large-scale fuel fires. In the past several years, the industry has seen damaging fires in oil refineries, tank farms, and loading terminals. Because AFFF is the most effective product against liquid fire, it’s likely that your department also uses this firefighting foam for responding to similar emergencies.
• Handling, transporting, and mixing AFFF concentrate. In the industry, you don’t need to be involved in live fire to be exposed to AFFF. If you handled equipment or tanks of foam concentrate, you may have been exposed through direct contact with the foam or by being exposed to leaks and spills. 

Relevant job titles

• Industrial Firefighter
• Oil Well Firefighter
• Petrochemical Firefighter